BREAKING: Hours before the NBA trade deadline, Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder and four future first round draft picks on Thursday (Manila time).

This came hours after the Nets’ recently traded marquee player, Kyrie Irving, debuted for the Dallas Mavericks and did well.

Brooklyn, which is currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, has had an average performance without Durant. It has had to rely heavily on the recently traded Irving—- who had a tumultuous stay in Brooklyn for his refusal to get vaccinated during the pandemic—- to pick up the scoring slack.  

The writing was on the wall for Irving. For Durant, it was touch and go. There were rumblings that he wanted to be moved before the deadline and new Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who’s keen on bringing him to Phoenix, was first in line.

According to ESPN pundits, Mikal Bridges has always been on the Nets’ wishlist for some time now, so getting the deal done finally was a great accomplishment. 

Who are the Nets getting?

Bridges, who is playing in his fifth season in the NBA, is having his best scoring season, with 17 points a game. Cameron Johnson is averaging 13 points a game and Jae Crowder, who has been getting some serious interest from the Milwaukee Bucks, is averaging nine points a game. 

Whether these are enough to compensate for Durant’s 30 points remains to be seen.

Durant will be joining a Suns’ team that has ambitions to win a championship this year. With perennial all-star Chris Paul and one of the best players in the league in Devin Booker, the team could probably make a run for it. 

The new Suns player is still recovering from the knee injury he sustained early this January though, and it looks like he’s still far from returning to action.

The Brooklyn Nets will face the Chicago Bulls while the Phoenix Suns visit the Atlanta Hawks next.